Pessimists
by Alicia Mirza
Summary: Emmeline Vance doesn't understand why anyone needs a date to go to Hogsmeade until one day Frank Longbottom asks her help to organize the perfect date, he doesn't want to ruin his chance with Alice. However, her opinion about dating changes thanks to a certain boy. It's never easy to choose between love and friendship - Emmeline learns it quickly. [one-shot]


**Quidditch Leage Competition - Season 2**

Team: Bellycastle Bats

Position: Chaser 1

Person: Emmeline Vance

Prompt: First Hogsmeade weekend

Wordcount: 2373 words

Bonus prompts: (quote) No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit. Helen Keller; (word) calculator; (word) frostbite

* * *

**Pessimists**

The moment the date of the first Hogsmeade visit was announced the entire third year was full of life. Even the pure-bloods and those half-bloods who grew up surrounded by magic, were enthusiastic by the idea of the little village.

"Andrew asked me out and Emily is going with his twin, Anthony," Melissa squealed and Emmeline frowned. She didn't understand why the whole trip was a big deal. She liked the idea of getting away from the school - if only for a few hours – interesting, but she didn't have a clue why she couldn't go alone or with her friends. She decided that she was not going to behave like a lovesick puppy; she was not going to wait for a boy to ask her out.

The whole Ravenclaw tower was in total awe, so she was not surprised that when she was surrounded by her Gryffindor friends the same topic was discussed.

"Eric Keller asked if I wanted to go with him," Lily Evans said as normally as she could, but Emmeline noticed the faint blush on her cheeks. Marlene raised her perfect light eyebrows and smirked.

"And what about James Potter?" she asked and this time Lily blushed again, but from the way how her green eyes were flashing, Emmeline guessed that it was from anger. She was there not once when Potter declared his everlasting love to Lily, in very unusual ways.

"He can go with Black; they were made for each other," the redhead answered and a small smile appeared on the edge of Emmeline's lips. Marlene was cold, as always, but a playful smirk was on her face.

"Well, that's kind of not possible, because Sirius is already my date," she said in a way most people spoke about the weather. The news resulted in another long discussion of the boys and dates. Emmeline only listened, not really caring about the topic, but what surprised her was how Alice didn't take part in the conversation either.

Mary said that though no one has asked her out yet, she was thinking on asking Remus, because she knew that h was shy and he wouldn't ask anyone.

"And you, Emma, who are you going with?" Mary asked Emmeline, who crossed her arms.

"No one. I'm perfectly capable of going to the village with a boy escorting me," she stated and the other girls laughed with the exception of Alice, who only looked uncomfortable, probably because she knew that she was the next to be questioned.

"And you, Allie? Tell me that you are not as feminist as our dear Emma. Maybe it has something to do with that blue-bronze badge, Ravenclaws are too intelligent for dating," Marlene stated, but Emmeline just shook her head.

"No, they are worse than Gryffindors," she answered and most girls laughed out. Alice on the other hand seemed not to notice that everyone turned in her direction, except Emmeline who understood the other girl.

"Who are you going with?" Marlene questioned Alice. While Marlene with her blonde hair and baby blue eyes, not to mention daring and teasing personality was well-known by the boys even at the age of thirteen, Alice was completely different. She was a Gryffindor, but most found her shy, clumsy and grey. She was pretty in a way; she was small with short dark hair and light eyes. She was not loud; she usually stayed in the shadows, she was not exceptionally talented.

"I was not asked out," she muttered so quietly that the others had a hard time understanding her.

"Why don't you ask out someone yourself?" Mary asked who was planning to do the same."Potter is probably going to follow Lily even though she is going with Eric, Black has already asked Marlene, today I'm going to invite Remus, but you could ask Peter." Alice flushed and muttered something.

"What did you say?" Emmeline asked and Alice's face was redder than Lily's hair.

"That it's not Peter I would like to go with," she repeated and everyone paid attention to her with newfound interest.

"Who do you like, Allie?" Marlene asked, but Alice just shook her head. "Alice, just tell us before winter comes and we will freeze and get frostbite."

"Frank Longbottom," she answered eventually. Emmeline listened half-heartedly, but even she found that piece of information interesting.

"The guy, who is in fourth year? How do you even know him?" Marlene demanded, and Emmeline rolled her eyes, she noticed that Lily did the same.

"Obviously Frank Longbottom is the same Frankie Allie always told us about, the guy who she always played with. Plus, pretty much all pure-bloods know each other, don't they?" Alice nodded after Lily's explanation.

"If you like him Allie, just ask him out," Marlene said as an expert, and really, from their little group she was the expert.

It was a day later, after an exhausting Transfiguration lesson with the Slytherins, while Emmeline was the last one in the classroom that someone came up to her. She knew who he was instantly, but she had no idea what he wanted.

"You are Emmeline Vance, right?" he asked and she nodded. He was a year older than her and in Gryffindor, so she really did not understand what he wanted.

"And you are friends with Alice, right?" Once again she confirmed his question with a nod, and he smiled.

"Would you help me? I would like to set up a perfect date with her, a surprise really." Emmeline looked at him strangely, and frowned.

"Why don't you just ask her to go on a date with you?" She thought about mentioning how she knew that Alice liked him, but it was not her task to do. He flushed, and in many ways she was reminded of her small friend.

"I would screw it up," he muttered. "Please, would you help me?"

"Why me? Marlene is the best with dating and boys, and Lily is Alice's closest friend," she stated and he slowly nodded.

"Yes, but you know her just as much as they do, but you are in a different house, so it's not as conspicuous." Eventually she agreed to help him, though she was far from sure that it was a good idea.

He really seemed determined; he wanted to organize a date in which even she would have liked to participate, not to mention that she quickly realized why Alice liked him.

Frank Longbottom was not exactly handsome; he did not have the striking elegance and noble features of Sirius Black, or the casual negligent appearance of James Potter with his crooked glasses, cocky smile and windblown hair. However, he somehow radiated the same sweet lack of self-esteem as Alice. He was not handsome, but he was cute.

"Hey, Em. Could I talk to you?" It was only a day before the Hogsmeade visit, and Emmeline still had many things to discuss with Frank when Alice stopped her.

"Sorry, Alice, but I have to meet up with someone in... Merlin, I'm already late," she stated when she realized what time it was. Alice was never one to be angry, so it surprised Emmeline when the other girl pressed her lips together and her ever sweet eyes were narrowed. Alice let out a sigh, and looked down.

"You are meeting Frank, don't you?" Emmeline was surprised, but then again she realized that in fact she has spent a lot of time with the fourth-year boy recently. As they were in different houses (even though Gryffindors and Ravenclaws didn't have many problems with each other) and they weren't even in the same year, not to mention that he was a pure-blood, while she was a muggle-born it was clearly conspicuous.

She thought of telling Alice that she was meeting Melissa or Emily, her closest friends from Ravenclaw, but she didn't want to lie more than it was necessary to Alice.

"Yes," she said eventually and Alice closed her eyes. A tear escaped her eyes, and she turned around and left before Emmeline could tell her anything else. Emmeline for a moment longed for her mathematics books and her calculator. She longed for numbers that were cold and didn't have feelings. They were so easy to deal with; there was always a method to solve the task. It was no question for her why she ended up in Ravenclaw; she did not know what to do when it came to emotions.

She ran into Frank who smiled at her, but frowned when he noticed her expression.

"Everything is okay, Emma?" Emmeline looked at him with a fright in her eyes. Only her closest friends called her that. She really did not know when he entered that category.

"Alice... I think she is crossed with me," she said softly and he looked at her curiously.

"And why is that?" he asked and she looked at him. She still knew that he was in fact not handsome, not in the exact meaning of the word, but she saw through that and she knew that he was one of the nicest guys she knew, and for a moment she imagined him taking to that perfect date the two of them set up and not Alice. She felt instantly guilty, but his dark blue eyes were on her, and she couldn't erase the idea out of her mind.

"She might think that I like you more than a friend," she answered and Frank raised his eyebrows.

"Is she right?" he asked with a smile on his face, like the idea entertained him. For a moment Emmeline thought of telling him the truth that in fact she could imagine him as more than a friend, but then the image of crying Alice came into her mind, and she knew that she had to lie.

"Of course not." A forced smile was on her face and he chuckled. The way he found the idea of them together, in a way broke Emmeline's heart.

He started talking about the perfect date once again lightly.

"... and the flowers... Is everything okay, Emma?" he asked, and she nodded, but the way he said her nickname made it a lot harder. "I guess, that would be everything. You seem like you need a good sleep." She just shook her head.

"It's okay," she muttered. He smiled gently at her, which lighted up his whole face.

"Thank you for everything, Em. I could have never accomplished it alone," he stated and she nodded, not trusting herself.

"It's nothing, Alice is my friend, she... she deserves... yo- it," she told him, and he flushed, probably realizing what she wanted to say first. She said a quick goodbye and before he could answer she left.

The next day when she woke up everyone in her dorm was already up, trying on cloths. She was the only one who had no desire of going to the village, she was the only one was going alone. Only a few days ago, she found the idea of a boy accompanying her superfluous and completely stupid. However, a boy changed her point of view, a boy who had a date with her friend.

She didn't have much idea what to do in the village, as all her friends have paired up. Eventually Mary asked out Remus, who after a bit of hesitation said yes. This way, she was the only one among her friends in both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, who had no date.

She saw Lily and her date, a boy from their year in Hufflepuff being followed by James Potter, who behaved like a puppy. She also noticed Marlene and Black in an alley, from what she could saw making-out. She also bumped into Emily and Melissa, who were having a double-date with the twins, Andrew and Anthony, who were in their fourth year in Ravenclaw.

She checked her watch in about every two minutes, while she knew perfectly well what Frank and Alice was doing at what time, thanks to the hours of organizing. She first wanted to avoid seeing them together, but she couldn't control her own mind and legs anymore, so she ended up in the Three Broomsticks, while they were there.

She asked for a butterbeer, and she couldn't help getting closer and closer them, while trying not to be noticed. She was so close to them in a few minutes that she actually heard them.

"So, you thought that I was dating Emmeline in secret?" he asked and Emmeline felt that she was closed to crying. He didn't refer to her as Em or Emma, but as Emmeline.

"She is pretty and smart," Alice stated and she blushed.

"But she is not you, Allie-Cat," he told her and Emmeline felt as a tear ran down her face. She was not sure why it hurt so much. She knew that Frank belonged to Alice, she knew that she could never tell him that she liked him, but hearing it from Frank that she was not as good as Alice broke her heart once again.

"I just thought... Well, Emma is prettier than me, she is one of the best in our year and...," Alice started, but Frank cut her off.

"You are so pessimistic, Allie. You don't think highly enough of yourself. _No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit,_" he stated and Emmeline's heart started beating quicker.

"Helen Keller," she muttered at the same time as he told the name of the writer, who said that to Alice.

"She is my favourite writer," they said at the same time, only Frank loudly to Alice, while Emmeline mumbled it to herself. She turned around and left the pub, not caring about the butterbeer she hasn't received yet, but already paid for.

A tear escaped her eyes, than another one, but she never turned around.

Hogsmeade, she thought bitterly, perfect date for a few people and heartbreak for others. Sadly, she didn't belong in the first group and that moment she realized that she would never be part of that.

Alice had no reason to be pessimistic, but she had.


End file.
